Economy, Business, & Money

Two of the six Alliance goals focus on the importance of the local economy. In order to create equitable and livable communities, it is essential to build strong local economies. This includes a variety of efforts, including assessment of the ways raw materials are accessed, the materials processed, the finished products distributed and used, as well as the personnel, the know-how, and the technology needed to carry out the conversion of raw materials into finished products.

In this section, we deal with the importance to sustainable communities of Going Local, which involves consideration of:

by Alex Fischer Conducting one’s life to end exploitation and injustice is moral and dignified. The twin threats of nuclear war and climate change forecast a bleak future. While we cannot know whether or not people and their societies can … more →

Coffee Shops/Cafés that sell Brewed Fair Trade Coffee The following local cafés are known to offer brewed Fair Trade coffee, often organic, and many of them also sell packaged coffee. In addition to these locations, most—but not all—college food services now … more →

Use the comments feature on this page to add your thoughts on Envision LV’s draft report on economic development in the Lehigh Valley—whether it’s a response to what they included or something you think needs to be added. Read the … more →

This is not an official Envision LV page, but we want to provide a way for you to access the draft plans they are creating and comment on what they got right and what’s missing. The following is from a … more →

by Jerz E. Brown What does the end of the Industrial Age(s) mean for the average person? There was a time long ago when our great-grandfather’s great-grandfather was there when they invented steam power! Back when people started going to … more →

To make good decisions about sustainability, people need to know the facts. Here are some questions that have arisen and might be suitable for class projects or independent study: What steps can local & county government take to produce immediate reductions in … more →

…on the human effects of coal mining and other resource extraction industries: Progress In a ton of black gold boring through the fatness of the Blue Ridge on the Clinchﬁeld freight lines, three generations are trapped. The ﬁrst generation talks … more →

Allentown Environmental Advisory Council May 13, 2012 On March 29, 2012 Allentown signed a 35-year contract with a private NJ company, Delta Thermo Energy (DTE), to build an incinerator on Kline’s Island in Allentown for disposal of the city’s trash … more →

Note: Much of this material was originally posted as a call to action regarding the City of Allentown’s proposal to contract with Delta Thermo Energy to build a ‘Waste to energy’ plant in downtown Allentown. That proposal was approved and … more →

by Ted Morgan Billionaire George Soros recently warned that the world capitalist system faced the potential of massive street violence—if not collapse. Mainstream discourse has failed to give due credence to the most widely shared argument of Occupiers: our democracy … more →

Important Notice - Information on this website does not necessarily represent the position of the Alliance or the views of its members. As part of our effort to promote open discussion and dialogue, we frequently post material that is of current concern, especially on subjects that are not covered in the mainstream media or if that coverage is incomplete or one-sided.